In the cultivation of various plant species, numerous structures for housing a growing medium have been proposed to enable the grower to closely control the quantity of water supplied to the roots of the plant as well as to maintain the integrity of the growing medium. In general, these structures have involved a container for the growing medium together with an irrigation system for supplying water and other nutrients to the growing medium in the container. As compared to the natural cultivation of plant species directly in the ground, the use of such growing containers has not met with widespread acceptance due to the expense of the container and due to the rapid depletion of the nutrients in the growing medium employed.
These prior growing containers have also suffered the severe disadvantage of promoting the growth of undesirable parasites and fungi due to confinement of the growing medium in the containers. In addition, salt and mineral accumulation resulting from localized evaporation from the container has resulted in stunted plant growth or death of the plant. The only known solution to this detrimental mineral buildup has involved a significant investment in labor for attending to the condition of the soil in the container during the growing period. Accordingly, the disadvantages of such prior art growing containers have offset any advantages realized by their use.
Furthermore, the current production of produce for human consumption involves a significant amount of labor. The developing fruit of the plant must be kept off the ground to prevent the fruit from rotting and to allow sunlight to reach the fruit. In a common method for growing tomatoes, for example, individual tomato plants are planted in rows. At significant cost, stakes are then driven between successive tomato plants in the row. Wire is then strung between the stakes so that as the tomato plants grow, they can be tied to the wire/stake structure. This tieing of the plants, of course, also involves labor. Then, after picking, the plants must be cut from the stake structure, the wire removed, and the stakes pulled before the soil can be tilled. Then after tilling, the stakes must again be driven and the wire restrung. Despite the fact that presently employed growing staking apparatuses and methods are so labor intensive, staking is nevertheless carried out because cost effective and workable alternatives have not yet been developed.